Ink: Stories on Skin

MOLAA’s “Ink” is a complex and sophisticated history of tattoo art in California, and in particular of the way Long Beach—a Navy town with its own unique history—served as locus and focus for artists who’d go on to help invent a distinctly Chicano vocabulary of imagery. Think of it as a lesson in art, history, sociology, culture and politics all at once, written in a way that can never be erased—indeed, it’s an art form that’s as close to permanent as one can get. And this isn’t just a gallery show. Fittingly, it’s a living exhibit, and as such Ink will feature live tattoo demonstrations from top-notch Californians, including Long Beach’s Ivanna Belakova on Sat., Sept. 8, with appearances to follow later this year by iconic black-and-grey artist Freddy Negrete, Black Anchor’s Nikko Hurtado, Outer Limits local legend Kari Barba and 2Spirit’s Roxx.